Protecting device



Dec. 17, 1929. D. TOBIN 1,740,210

PROTECTING DEVICE I Filed March 25, 1927 2 Shets-Sheet 2 r I In" I uINVENTOR I 7 I 6 ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 17, 1929 UNITE STATES DANIELTOBIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS PROTECTING DEVICE Application filed March23, 1927. Serial No. 177,825.

This invention relates to certain novel im provements in protectingdevices and more particularly to a device for preventing unauthorizedstarting of an automobile or airplane and has for its principal objectthe provision of an improved construction of this character which willbe highly efficient in use and economical in manufacture.

Among the salient objects of the invention is to provide a device ofthis character which includes mechanism operable upon a controlling rodfor retaining the control rod in an inoperative position whereby toprevent unauthorized operation of mechanism controlling the operation ofan automobile or an aeroplane.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter which includes a plurality of corelated discs operable by asingle dial for controlling operation of mechanism operable to preventunauthor ized starting of an automobile or aeroplane.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of partsto be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, showing the preferred form of construction and in which:

Fig. 1 is a face elevational view of the invention showing the sameapplied to a control board of an automobile or the like,

Fig. 2 is a sectional detail View of the same taken substantially online 22 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail View taken substantially on line 33 of Fig.2,

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail view taken substantially on line 44 of Fig.2,

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional detail view of a slightly modifiedform of the invention,

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatical circuit detail View embodied in theinvention, and Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional detail View showing aslightly modified form of construction of certain parts of the inventionas shown in Fig. 2.

In the drawing 10 indicates a housing which has a removable back wall 11secured in the present instance to the side walls 12 as at 13. The frontwall 14 of the housing 10 includes a lateral collar 15 to which issecured as at 16 a cover 16. Formed in this cover 16 is an opening 17and arranged in the opening 17 is a dial 18 having formed on itsperipheral edge 19 graduations 20 adapted to selectively register inalignment with a graduation mark 21 formed on the cover 16, Fig. 1. Thisdial has formed thereon a sleeve 22 which extends into the interior ofthe housing and arranged in this sleeve is a bushing 23, said sleevebeing supported for rotation through the medium of a verticallyextending standard 24 mounted within the housing. Movable longitudinallywithin this bushing 23 is a push rod 25 carrying a pin 26 which limitsits outward longitudinal movement. The inner end portion 27 of the rod25 is adapted to move into a barrel 28 supported within the housingthrough the medium of a bracket 29. Arranged within this barrel 28 is aspring 30 embracing the reduced end portion 31 of the rod 25, andfunctioning to normally project the rod outwardly in a longitudinaldirection with respect to the bushing 23. A lock arm 32 is pivotallysupported through the medium of a post 33 and one end portion 34 of thisarm 32 is connected to the rod 25 through the medium of a pin and slotconnection 35.

Formed on the interior end portion of the sleeve 22 is a bevelled gear36. This gear 36 is adapted for meshing relation with a bevelled gear 37rotatably supported upon a pin 38 carried by a bracket 39. This bevelledgear 37 has one side thereof which provides a disk 40.

Mounted for rotation upon the pin 38 are spaced aligned discs 41 and 42said discs 41 and 42 and the disc 40 having notches 43 formedin theirperipheral edges for reasons hereinafter set forth. The discs 40, 41 and42 carry laterally extending pins 28, there being two pins 28 carried bythe disc 41 on oppo- 9 sitesides thereof inwardly of its notch forreasons hereinafter set forth. The discs are spaced from each otherthrough the medium of spacing washers 44. The opposite end portion 45 ofthe arm 32 is disposed laterally with respect to the discs and extendtransversely thereof for reasons hereinafter set forth.

A bell crank 46 is pivotally supported by a bracket 47 within thehousing 10. The arm 48 of the bell crank has its end portion 49 disposedin the path of the longitudinal movement of the rod 25 for reasonshereinafter set forth.

The arm 50 of the bell crank 46is secured to one end portion of a springleaf 51 through the medium of a pin and ear connection 52. The oppositeend portion of this spring leaf 51 is connected as at 53 to a barrel 5'4supported within the housing through the medium of a brack'et55.Arranged within this barrel 54 is a spring 56 which acts upon anoperating rod 57 for moving the rod 57 in one longitudinal direction,said operating rod being supported for longitudinal movement through theii'iedium of a sleeve 58 supported by a bracket 59. The end portion 60of the rod 57 has a notch formed therein and adapt ed to engage in thisnotch is an angled end portion 62 of the spring leaf 51 Which provid'esa latch. for releasably latching the rod 57 in a position against theaction of the spring 56. v

The outer [end portion 63 of the rod 57 projects through an opening 64formed in the cover 16.

Mounted for movement with the rod 57 as at 57 is an insulating plate 65which carries an annular contact ring '66. An insulating plate 67 isdisposed in the path of movement of the plate '65 and has a centralopening 68 formed therein for the free passage of the rod 57, said plate67 being supported in this position through the medium of brackets 69.Secured to the insulating plate 67 in the path of movement of thecontact ring 66 are contact points 70 and 71. The contact point 70 isconnected in circuit with the ignition system 72 of an automobileaeroplane or the like through-the medium of a conductor 73. The contactpoint- 71 is connected in circuit through the medium of conductor 74 toone side 75 of a switch 7 6, said switch having its other side 77connected to one side of a source of electrical energy 78 through themedium of a conductor 79, said one sideof the source or electricalenergy being connected through the medium of a conductor 80 to the otherside of the ignition system 72. This switch 76 is best illustrated inFig. 2 and includes a push button 81 carried by a plunger 82, said pushbutton 81 projecting through an opening 83 formed in the cover 16. Theplunger 82 is slidably supported by a sleeve 84 carried by a bracket 85,said plunger being insulated from dicated as one side 75 of the switch 76 in Fig. 6 is connected in the present instance to one side of parkinglights'89 through the medium of a conductor 90, the other contact finger87 being indicated in Fig. 6 as the other side of the switch 76.

The operation of the invention thus far described is as follows: 7

To release the rod 57 for movement by action of the spring 56 in adirection to dispose the ring 66 into contact with the contact pointsthe operator rotates the dial to impart rotation inan anti-clockwisedirection to the disc 40. This disc 40 is rotated until the pin 28thereof engages the pin 28 of the disc 41. VJ hen these two pins are inengagement with respect to each other, continued rotation of the disc 40will impart rotation to the disc 41 to move the other pin of this disc41 into engagement with the pin 28 of the disc 42. The discs 40 and 41are further rotated to impart rotation to the disc 41 to dispose thenotch of this latter disc in position for re: ceiving the end portion450i the arm 32. To position the notch of the disc 42in this osition itis necessary in the present instance to rotate the dial 18 one-halfrevolution after the other pin 28 of the disc 41 has engaged the pin 28of the disc l t hen the other pin 28 of the disc41 is moved to the pointof engagement with the pin 28 of the disc 42 the notch thereof will bein alignment with the notch of the disc 42 whereby when the disc 42 ismoved one-half revolution by further movement of the dial, the twonotches will be disposed in aposition to receive the end portion 45. Thedial 18 is now rotated in a clockwise direction to dis pose the notch 43of the disc 40 in alignment with the notches of the discs 41 and 42, thenecessary movement of the dial being indicated by, graduation marks 20formed on the front wall 14, to indicate the required rotation of thedial to set the notches in alignment with respect to each other.

lVhen the notches of the disc are in alignment with respect toeach otherthe operator places his finger upon the outer end portion of the rod 25to move the rod inwardly against the action, of the spring 30, saidmovement of the push rod being permitted by movement of the end portionof the arm 32 into the aligned notches of the disc. 1nward movement ofthe push rod 25 acts upon the arm 48 of the bell crank 46 and moves thisbell crank in a direction to disengage the latch end portion 62 fromengagement in the notch 61 of the operating rod 57. Then the latch endportion 62 is thus disengaged from the notch 61 the spring 56 will actupon the rod 57 and move this rod outwardly to dispose the ring 66 intoengagement with the contact points 70 and 71, thus to complete theignition circuit.

To reseat the latch end portion 62 in en gagement in the notch 61, theoperator pushes the rod 57 against the action of the spring 56. Thelatch end portion 62 will then automatically engage in the notch 61.

The operator now manipulates the dial 18 to move the notches of thediscs from registration with respect to each other, it being pointed outthat the spring 30 functions to move the push rod 25 to move the arm 82and disengage the end portion 15 thereof from within the notches.

The movement of the discs is indicated by the graduations on theperipheral edge of the dial and it is pointed out that these discs maybe set in various positions with respect to each other so as to changethe combination of their movement by the dial.

In Fig. 7 I have illustrated a slightly modified form of constructionand in this structure the operating rod indicated in this modified format 65 has its inner end portion formed to provide a valve head 66 whichis adapted to close communication between conduits 67 and 68. Thisconduit 68 communicates with an auxiliary supply tank (not shown) whichis adapted to receive gasoline from a supply tank (not shown). Theconduit 67 delivers the gasoline to the carburettor of an automobile,aeroplane or the like.

It is pointed out that the description of the operation of the deviceshown in Figs. 1 and 2 is substantially similar to the operation of thedevice shown in the modified form illustrated in Fig. 7.

l/Vhile I have illustrated and described the preferred form ofconstruction for carrying my invention into eflfect, this is capable ofvariation and modification, without departing from the spirit of theinvention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precisedetails of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of suchvariations and modifications as come within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the class described, an operating member manuallymovable in one direction, means for moving the operating member in anopposite direction, a push rod manually movable in one direction, apivotally supported lock arm, means connecting one limb portion of thelock arm to the push rod, means for moving the push rod in an oppositedirection, a latch member for releasably latching the operating memberin a position against action of said first mentioned means, said latchbeing operated by the push rod, means operable by the push rod formoving the latch member from latched engagement with the operatingmember to permit said operating member to move against the action ofsaid first mentioned means, and

means for controlling pivotal movement of the lock arm against action ofthe push rod in a direction to operate said latch operating means,

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with an operatingmember manually movable in one direction, a spring member for moving theoperating member in an opposite direction, a latch member for releasablylatching the operating member against action of the spring member, of apivotally supported bell crank having one of its limb portions connectedto the latch men1- ber, a push rod manually movable in one direction foroperation upon the other limb portion of the bell crank, means formoving the push rod in an opposite direction, and means controllingmovement of the push rod in said one direction, said push rod when movedin said one direction moving the bell crank to move the latch memberfrom engagement with the operating member.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with an operatingmember manually movable in one direction, a spring member for moving theoperating member in an opposite direction, a latch member for releasablylatching the operating member against action of the spring member, of apivotally supported bell crank having one of its limb portions connectedto the latch member, a push rod manually movable in one direction foroperation upon the other limb portion of the bell crank, means formoving the push rod in an opposite direction, and means controllingmovement of the push rod in said one direction, said push rod when movedin said one direction moving the bell crank to move the latch memberfrom engagement with the operating member, said last mentioned meansincluding a pivotally supported lock arm, means connecting one endportion of the lock arm to the push rod, and means adapted to be engagedby the opposite portion of said lock arm.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

DANIEL TOBIN.

